4. Spotify will go public at a lofty valuation, but those numbers and overall investor confidence will decline throughout the year, together with Pandora’s, as these two pure-play global streaming music leaders find it increasingly difficult to compete against “big box” behemoths Apple, Amazon and Google/YouTube

Branded content renewals are generally a tough sell, with renewal rates historically hovering below 40 percent. But branded podcasts appear to be bucking that trend, as advertisers continue to hunt for ways to spend uninterrupted time with audiences.

Rightsify is providing a new way for businesses to license and play music. Rightsify helps businesses save money on music while providing them with custom and expertly designed playlists for their brand, all while ensuring that artists get paid every time their music is played.